Seattle Aquarium, Seattle

I think the price is a bit high, but my advice is to get the City Pass! You get admission to lots of Seattle attractions for half the price. Get one before you go here. I support the cause of the aquarium so I wasn't sad about spending the $30. The fish actually photograph really well here, so bring a camera. And they have one of the best pressed penny machines I have ever seen.

There was some confusion with our City Pass, and the registration staff were very helpful in working it out with us. Other reviewers have stated it is not a large aquarium, yet I found the size just right to spend a few hours and learning a lot. The exhibits are all very thoughtful and give a good amount of detail about each creature. One of the central exhibits was made to look like pools of water in rocks. It was fun to walk around them, sit on them, and stick my hands (as instructed!) into the pools to feel the different animals and plants. After a while I saw a young woman in a wheelchair who had very little mobitility, and felt sad that she wouldn't be able to get close enough to the exhibit to experience it. Within a few seconds a staff member walked over to her carrying a bowl of water with a few animals inside and engaged her, helping her feel the animals, etc. I was extremely touched at the thoughtfulness and caring of this. Staff also worked at several of the exhibits giving explanations and answering questions. We greatly enjoyed our visit.

I loved this aquarium. Among their best exhibits are a large octopus, cuttlefish, sea and river otters, harbor seals, an underwater dome, and touch pools with different tide pool creatures. It was a very enjoyable afternoon for 2 adults and would be excellent for children of all ages.

Good selection. Not a huge aquarium, but the care that they take in each and every exhibit really shows. Be sure to plan your visit around the various daily activities planned, since the activities are really give very good information. The fish feeding in the underwater dome is pretty spectacular as well.

Staff are friendly and passionate, but this is not so much an aquarium as it is a series of small fish tanks. They do have seals and sea otters, a small area for birds and lizards - nothing you haven't seen before. Having experienced other spectacular aquariums around the globe, I cannot give this one more than 3 stars. Overall, an expensive 30 minute stroll, where you struggle to find something interesting to spend time on. Great for school trips and kids. Great contribution to wildlife preservation.